The spectacular beauty of lions
Photographers celebrate the pride of nature
Susan Portnoy
There's nothing that rouses a sense of awe quite like the proud stance and flowing mane of a lion. For centuries, lions have been rooted in our hearts and minds as symbols of beauty, strength and bravery — but against the forces of humanity, they're undeniably fragile. There are less than 30,000 lions left in the wild. Habitat loss, human conflict, poaching, trophy hunting and canned hunting are chipping away at the already tenuous population at an alarming rate. To commemorate World Lion Day on Monday, an international initiative to rally support for lions and the organizations committed to their survival, these stunning images remind us that lions are extraordinary animals, deserving of our admiration and protection.
If you're looking to support lion conservation, these five organizations could use your help. You can also visit World Lion Day's website for more information and additional conservation groups.1. National Geographic’s Big Cats Initiative (BCI)Cofounded by renowned filmmakers and explorers-in-residence Dereck and Beverly Joubert, the Big Cat Initiative supports local conservation projects and education, in addition to a global public awareness campaign.2. Desert Lion Conservation ProjectThere are less than 150 desert-adapted lions left in the unforgiving sands of the Namib Desert. Desert Lion Conservation, founded by Dr. Philop Stander, was created "to collect sound ecological data, address human-lion conflicts and to develop a conservation strategy."3. Walking For LionsA small organization with a big heart, Walking for Lions seeks to compile essential information on lion populations across protected areas in Africa. In order to build awareness for the program, its members walked more than 300 miles from Windhoek, Namibia, to Chanzi, Botswana, in the beginning of 2015.4. Lions of Gir FoundationIn India's Gir Forest National Park, nearly 10,000 open pit wells threaten the last 400 Asiatic lions, which are at risk of drowning. The foundation has successfully closed more than 2,000 wells to date, but its has a long way to go before the lions are safe.5. International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW)In addition to a long history of rescuing and aiding threatened animals in more than 40 countries, the IFAW is working to ensure the U.S. government lists the African lion as "endangered" under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, which, at the very least, would make it illegal to transport hunting trophies into the United States.